The 2025 season came to a close on Sunday for the Indianapolis Colts. A couple of hours after the game ended, the Colts announced that general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen will return for the 2026 season. Rumors have flown the last few weeks about the team parting ways with both of them at the end of the season. However, many fans were not surprised by the choice to bring back Steichen. The surprise came from the decision to bring back Chris Ballard.
Chris Ballard Remains Colts’ GM
Lack of Success
It’s a known fact that the Colts haven’t had much success during the Chris Ballard tenure. With the Colts bringing him back in 2026, this will be his tenth year as GM in Indy. At the conclusion of Sunday’s game against Houston, Ballard’s resume still lacks impressiveness. His record as GM in Indy is now 70-78-1 with only two playoff appearances. Out of the 2 appearances, the team has one playoff win. And that win came in the 2020 COVID season before Philip Rivers retired the first time. Ballard has had four winning seasons as the Colts’ GM, but Indy hasn’t won the AFC South since he joined the front office. So, the two times the Colts made the playoffs, they entered them as a wild-card team.
Lack of Consistency
The lack of consistency in key positions has also been an issue for Chris Ballard. In his time in Indy, the Colts have used 13 different quarterbacks. To put it in perspective, Ballard’s first year was in 2018. Many teams have had the same quarterback for that amount of time. Granted, many of them didn’t play more than a couple of games, but it’s the fact of not finding the answer.
The head coach carousel can come into the equation for Ballard as well. Though other teams have had it worse, the Colts have also had four different head coaches during Ballard’s time. Four different head coaches in nine years isn’t exactly a recipe for success. The coaches have been fired, but one common denominator remains. And that would be Chris Ballard still in the GM chair.
Time for Change
With the lack of success and consistency, it’s reasonable to question how Chris Ballard still has this job. It could be because the Colts do not have their next two first-round draft picks. Meaning that a new GM may not want to take the job due to the lack of draft capital for the Colts. Or it could be because of the early success of the team before the injuries came. Either way, a team basing a GM’s fate on “what ifs” can make a fanbase uneasy. Some could say that Ballard has been consistent, but it’s consistently underperforming. Chris Ballard will enter the 2026 season on the hot seat. Either it’s time for Chris Ballard to change, or the Colts will make the change from Chris Ballard.